I must admit, I thought he already retired, but rugged defenseman/winger Mathieu Dandendault officially announced his retirement from the NHL today. Here’s a press release from the NHL Players Association.

Mathieu Dandenault, a veteran of 13 NHL seasons and a three-time Stanley Cup winner, officially announced his retirement from the National Hockey League today.

“It was a childhood dream of mine to play in the NHL and having the opportunity to play for two original-six franchises made it even more special,” said Dandenault. “I grew up a huge Montreal Canadiens fan so skating out onto the ice in Montreal for the first time as a member of the Habs is something I will never forget. I feel honoured to have my name engraved on the Stanley Cup as a Detroit Red Wing. I would like to thank the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens organizations as well as the fans, my family and friends.”

Dandenault 34, played in 868 career NHL games and recorded 68 goals and 135 assists for 203 points, to go along with 516 penalty minutes. He spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Detroit Red Wings (1995-96 to 2003-04), and four seasons with his hometown Montreal Canadiens. Dandenault was part of three Stanley Cup teams with the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998, 2002).

He last played in the NHL during the 2008-09 season, producing 12 points and a +7 rating in 41 games with the Montreal Canadiens. He spent the 2009-10 season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, playing in 19 games while registering two points and a -2 rating.

Winning three Stanley Cup and appearing in 868 NHL games is an excellent career for just about any player, so congratulations to Dandenault as he moves on with the next phase of his life. Good luck to him as he becomes (gulp) a normal person.